In the long run

It was reahzed quite some decades ago that the amount of information accumulated by chemists can, in the long run, be made accessible to the scientific community only in electronic form in other words, it has to be stored in databases. This new field, which deals with the storage, the manipulation, and the processing of chemical information, was emerging without a proper name. In most cases, the scientists active in the field said they were working in "Chemical Information . However, as this term did not make a distinction between librarianship and the development of computer methods, some scientists said they were working in "Computer Chemistry to stress the importance they attributed to the use of the computer for processing chemical information. However, the latter term could easily be confused with Computational Chemistry, which is perceived by others to be more limited to theoretical quantum mechanical calculations. 

Let us define knowledge as the perception of the logical relations among the structures of the information. One thing we have to bear in mind is that any systematic treatment of information needs some previous knowledge. Therefore, research, in the long run, is always an iterative process, as depicted on Figure 4-1. 

Software In some programmable electronic systems (PES), errors are much easier to detect and correct than in others. Using the term software, in the wider sense, to cover all procedures, as distinct from hardware or equipment, some software is much friendlier than others. Training and instructions are obvious examples. As another example, if many types of gaskets or nuts and bolts are stocked, sooner or later the wrong type will be installed. It is better, and cheaper in the long run, to keep the number of types stocked to a minimum, even though more expensive types than are strictly necessaiy are used for some applications. 

The assignment of a nontechnical person to write a manual is shortsighted and more costly in the long run. A well-written manual is continuously in use. Good manuals need not be complicated. In fact, the simpler the better. Manuals should be readable and understandable, whether they are compiled in-house or outside. 

Using transformer winding teehniques that are effeetive, even though they may be more eostly to the transformer, ean improve the overall performanee of the power supply. This may save money for the whole power supply in the long run. 

Inherently safer design is a fundamentally different way of thinking about the design of chemical processes and plants. It focuses on the elimination or reduction of the hazards, rather than on management and control. This approach should result in safer and more robust processes, and it is likely that these inherently safer processes will also be more economical in the long run (Kletz, 1984, 1991b). 

Eor example, the federal Oeeupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates asbestos, lead, and other hazardous substanees. It would be very diffieult to provide the reader with every regulatory ageney that may have jurisdietion over hazardous materials. It is not our intent to provide the reader with every detail. However, the information offered in this book ean aid the reader in general eompli-anee issues and assist in planning for safety. This, in the long run, will help to improve on-site safety performanee. 

Many case histories are available on converting to a DCS on the run or during a turnaround. Upgrading will pay off in the long run. 

It is clear that, in the long run, we cannot rely on a more or less fortuitous cancellation of errors, the nature of which we do not know about in detail. The theory may be in a dilemma, but the only way out is probably to overcome our desire to get quick results and to start investigating the correlation effects in full detail. 

It is recommended that women of childbearing age take 400 pg/d synthetic folic acid as a supplement in order to reduce the risk of neural tube defects of the embryo when they later become pregnant (periconcep-tional folic acid supplementation) [2]. When supplementing folic acid, it should be considered that this vitamin can mask the simultaneous presence of vitamin B12 deficiency. The typical symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency, megaloblastic (= macrocytic) anemia, will be reduced by high doses of folic acid, yet the nervous system will - in the long run - be irreversibly damaged (= funicular myelitis) when vitamin B12 is not provided as well. 

Where low-cost labor is available, operators can provide intensive manual cleaning during the annual plant shutdown period. However, this is not a model for operational efficiency, and low-cost labor is seldom that low when quality and productivity is factored in. In the long run, it usually is far better to aim for a higher operational standard from the beginning. 

Concrete, cement block, and wallboard are the most common w all materials found in laboratories. All can be painted after treatment with an approprite sealer or filler. The choice of paint is very important. Both durability and ease of cleaning must be carefully evaluated. Bargain paints are rarely a bargain in the long run, particularly when labor is such a large part of the cost. 

In the long run, the choice between wood and steel is usually a matter of taste. Prices are quite comparable. When asked why he had chosen wood benches for the recently built chemistry laboratory of the U.S. Geological Survey facility in Menlo Park, California, the supervisor simply replied, Because I like wood ... 

A good handyman must be able to recognize his limitations and employ professional assistance for work he is not completely familiar with. In the long run, this will prove less expensive. Too many hazardous wire connections and improper plumbing repairs have been observed in laboratories. One OSHA inspection of a... 

If laboratory personnel are expected to perform repairs and maintenance, the proper tools must be available. This is particularly true in an educational laboratory, where stockroom personnel have a multitude of repair and maintenance jobs to perform. Only the highest quality tools should be purchased, as they will cost less in the long run. A cheap screwdriver, for instance, will soon begin to wear and damage screws that are hard to replace. It may even slip and cause injury. An almost right wrench will damage nuts beyond use. A cheap wire cutter may leave a few strands of wire uncut, an annoying and possibly hazardous condition. 

A reason for using microkinetics in heterogeneous catalysis is to have comprehensive kinetics and a transparent reaction mechanism that wonld be useful for re or design or catalyst development. Furthermore, in the long run, the exparimental effort to develop a microkinetics scheme can be less than that for a Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) or powa--law scheme because of the more fundamental nature of the reaction kinetics parameters. 

Price The refractory must be a cheap commodity. It must, however, be appreciated that it is not the initial cost that is important, but the cost per unit weight of material treated. A refractory material may be costlier than another but if it has a longer life, it may turn out to be cheaper in the long run than the refractory with a lower initial cost. In the ultimate analysis it is the overall cost of the refractory that decides the choice in its favour or otherwise for a particular installation. 

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